Skip to content

Log10(LR)

Definition

The base-10 logarithm of the likelihood ratio, sometimes called the weight of evidence (following I.J. Good). A log10(LR) of 1 corresponds to LR = 10, log10(LR) of 2 to LR = 100, and log10(LR) of 3 to LR = 1000. Logarithmic representation is used in verbal scales because LR values span many orders of magnitude.

Definition
Base-10 logarithm of the likelihood ratio
Alternate name
Weight of evidence (I.J. Good)
log10(LR)=1
Equals LR of 10
log10(LR)=3
Equals LR of 1000

Common questions

Why do verbal LR scales use log10 rather than the raw LR value?+

LR values can range across many orders of magnitude, and taking log10 compresses that range into evenly spaced categories that map cleanly onto verbal strength-of-support descriptors used in reports.

Who is credited with the weight of evidence concept behind log10(LR)?+

Statistician I.J. Good, whose formulation underlies its use as an additive measure of the evidential weight contributed by independent pieces of evidence.

Related terms

ENFSI Guideline
The European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Guideline for Evaluative Reporting in Forensic Science (2015, updated 2016). It defines the propositions framework,...
Jeffreys Scale
A logarithmic scale for Bayes factors proposed by Harold Jeffreys in Theory of Probability (1961). Levels run from 'barely worth mentioning' at...
Likelihood Ratio (LR)
The ratio of two conditional probabilities: the probability of the observed evidence given the prosecution's hypothesis (same source), divided by the probability...
Transposition Fallacy
The error of treating the probability of the evidence given a hypothesis as though it were the probability of the hypothesis given...
Verbal Equivalence Scale
A table that assigns a verbal phrase to a range of LR values or log10(LR) values. The phrase is used in written...

Explained in

Your journey to becoming a forensic professional starts here.

Practice with mock tests, learn from structured notes, and get your questions answered by a global forensic community, all in one place.